Jaden Dorny
Jaden is a grumpy, sarcastic, semi-alocholic, argumentative man who was made for his position as Chief Editor of ''The Cynic given he is it's namesake. Don't let him fool you though, deep down Jaden is a fluffy bunny. He kisses kittens and collects those ethiopian children you can support for just a few pence a month. He also plays dress up in his favourite pink tutu often.'' __TOC__ Jaden Andrew Dorny Nicknames/Aliases: None, but likely known as Dorny. Occupation: Chief editor for The Cynic, a Wizarding publication dedicated to reviewing (and oftentimes slandering) the investigation of paranormal/unexplained activity. Home: A loft conversion flat in Stoke Newington, Hackney, north London. Fairly large and definitely eclectic, the place is like a giant office with a bed plonked somewhere in the upper corner. Almost always covered in piles of paper, holds a large mixture of old and new furniture and Muggle and Wizarding appliances. Finances: Jaden is paid a substantial salary with the magazine that he works for, and is very comfortable indeed. It is not something he flaunts, though, as his home is the most expensive thing he owns. Household: Two black cats, George and Sweeney. Family Mother: Sylvia Mackintosh-Dorny (deceased 2003, aged 59); former PR officer; Muggleborn Father: Joseph Gordon Dorny (65); retired Prophet reporter; Pureblood Brother: Robert Joseph Dorny (26); trainee doctor External Appearance: Jaden isn’t what you would call conventionally good-looking, but he carries his looks in a way that many find it hard not to be attracted to him. Standing at 5’5”, he’s rather short for a man of his age, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in attitude. As a child, Jaden was quite stocky, but grew rather nicely into his limbs during his teens through Quidditch and other sports. His eyes are bright blue – probably his best feature, and take away the attention from his nose (which, as it so happens, he’s always hated). He has what you might call a ‘baby face’ - pale skin and round eyes, and his dark brown hair has always been a little longer than average. He’s also the kind of guy who wakes up with thick stubble every morning, no matter how close he shaved the day before. Despite his clean nature, his hands are quite calloused and his nails are bitten down to the quick, sometimes covered in ink stains or little cuts and scrapes from working with paper and typewriters. Doing a job like Jaden’s, it has affected the way he stands and walks – he is quick and efficient, even intoxicated, and every move he makes is meticulous and with purpose. He can be a little rough and heavy-handed at times without meaning to be – i.e., slamming doors in people’s faces, throwing books down with a little more force than necessary. He has heavy footsteps and a strong punch, for a man of his size. Clothing-wise, Jaden likes to keep things clean and simple. For work, he’ll wear suit trousers, a shirt, a tie and always a waistcoat (never a jacket). For play, its smart trousers, a coloured shirt and a sweater with a scarf. His work shirts are sometimes buttoned down a bit, the sleeves and cuffs dotted with ink. Essentially, he’s been pulled right out of film noir canon. First Impression: Internal Political Views: The Cynic works at keeping its politics contemporary and open, as does its editor. Fairly liberal, Jaden is an all-round sceptic of government officials and policies. He likes to question things – it’s the nature of his job. Quirks/Habits: Distinctive blue eyes, brown hair and red beard (how typically Scottish), freckly shoulders and nose but none anywhere else, loud speaking voice and very distinctive Glaswegian accent, bangs things around when he’s in a mood – be that happy or angry, chases things that are bad for him, addictive personality Strengths: aggressive, assertive, honest, intelligent, dry wit, forgiving, alarmingly patient when he wants to be, passionate, strong-willed, good with defence charms, and contrary to popular belief, he has a conscience Weaknesses: alcohol, cigarettes, cowardly, grumpy, swears a lot, OCD, argumentative, rude, cynical, selfish, haphazard personality, heavy-handed – especially with spells, loud, attracted to chaos Fears: losing his job, losing loved ones, forgetting how to write, damaging himself in some way where he can no longer do his job, dying of alcohol abuse like his mother, apparating Philias: a good article, Firewhisky, sex and love, menthol cigarettes, people who believe in things with a passion no matter if what they believe in is true in a universal extent or not – faith is what makes things interesting, shy men and those who blush Hobbies/Interests: Celtic football club, correcting, writing, reading, going to watch Quidditch matches, smoking, drinking, sex, antique furniture, poetry from the romantic movement in particular that of the Scottish and Irish, Edinburgh and Glasgow – who says you can’t like both?, whisky, crime fiction Favourite Belongings: every single item in his flat is a favourite belonging Favourite Places: his flat, Edinburgh city centre, pretty much any Irish pub in London Secrets: optional History Jaden’s parents, Sylvia Mackintosh and Joseph Dorny, met during Hogwarts in 1954, their first year at the school. Both Ravenclaws and initially friends, they did not start dating until their sixth year, surprising most of their friends as all they seemed to do up until that point was bicker. Joseph’s family, despite belonging to a relatively old Pureblooded line, did not have any objections to their relationship – much like the Weasleys, they were a family that prided themselves on their tolerance of all Wizarding races. Soon enough the pair were married in 1969, but chose not to have children until their careers were on sure-footing. They both had similar goals – the media. Joseph wanted to write, had always wanted to write, and Sylvia wanted to be in charge of everything (making her an ideal candidate for public relations and party planning). By the time that Joseph’s career in journalism was sailing, Sylvia was still struggling to reach the top spot at the Wizarding Public Relations company she was employed as officer in. Everything she did, everything she achieved, her husband seemed to do one better. It was time to find something to distract her – selfishly, it was time to have a child. Jaden was born in 1979. The family, at that point, were living close to Hamilton, a small suburb just outside of the city of Glasgow. The area, while slightly desolate, was incredibly middle-class, occupied by both Wizards and Muggles alike. Jaden’s childhood as a whole was not a particularly memorable one for neither good nor bad reasons – it was, as far as the expression goes, ‘normal’. Nothing incredibly remarkable happened during his early years, and due to naivety he failed to notice his mother’s slowly increasing drinking habits. After her second child was born in 1982, Sylvia, taking early retirement from her job in PR, turned to drinking and many parties with her friends when her husband was still out reporting, at that point for the Prophet. Jaden entered Hogwarts at age eleven in 1990, and was sorted almost immediately into Ravenclaw. He made few close friends while at school – he was far more interested in academics, and, having made the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as Chaser in 1993, sports. Jaden had thought about journalism as a career since childhood, as he practically hero-worshipped his father and the work that he done – travelling all over Britain, interviewing exciting celebrities, high figures in society and getting his words out there, published for every witch and wizard in the United Kingdom to read. Jaden wanted that, and worked his ass off in school to achieve just exactly what he wanted. His grades were continuously spotless every year, and while it didn’t get him on every housemate’s “best friends” list, it pushed him lightyears ahead in terms of capability. Academic Calender 1990 – 1991 1st Year 1991 – 1992 2nd Year 1992 – 1993 3rd Year; Ravenclaw Chaser 1993 – 1994 4th Year; Ravenclaw Chaser 1994 – 1995 5th Year; Ravenclaw Chaser 1995 – 1996 6th Year; Ravenclaw Chaser 1996 – 1997 7th Year; Ravenclaw Chaser After leaving Hogwarts in 1997, Jaden went about looking for a steady job – he left school with immaculate grades, guaranteeing him work in almost any paper he applied for. He began work at the very bottom, working as a junior copy editor and occasional article writer for small, local papers, taking his father’s advice and sticking to home rather than branching out to London where dark times were brewing. Eventually, Jaden worked his way up and finally got offered a job with a Scottish Wizarding publication – The Silver Herald, as a sub-editor. In 2003, his third year at the Herald, Jaden’s mother died of alcohol poisoning. She was found by Rob, Jaden’s younger brother, two days before her sixtieth birthday. Her death was not a surprise, but it threw Jaden off course and he ended up leaving his job to pick up the pieces – his father was in too much of a state to organise her funeral and any outstanding paperwork, financial or otherwise. After six months leave from the Herald and six months of stitching his father back together, Jaden finally decided that the time was right to spread his wings and move to the big bad city of London. Emotionally, the time was right to leave his home behind. Politically, the times were perfect for a fast-paced career in news journalism – and, what Jaden came to develop more prominently for the Wizarding world, cynical and sceptical journalism. He found The Cynic through word of mouth when the magazine was simply a grassroots publication, printed on cheap parchment with no pictures and not a whole lot of publicity behind it. Four years on, and having obtained – and maintained – a role as chief editor, Jaden has seen the magazine through its turnaround success; with rising interest in paranormal activity, scepticism and conspiracy theories surrounding the Wizarding government, The Cynic filled a gap in the industry as the flagship publication for investigative, questioning and very often satirical journalism. He now lives in Stoke Newington, London, where he continues to edit, insult, drink and generally piss off most of those around him. Meta Journal: firewhisky PB: James McAvoy Player: Teri Category: Characters